In an important but lesser-known essay by Dorothy L. Sayers called, “The Other Six Deadly Sins,” the English writer and associate of the famed Inklings literary group raises meaningful questions about the nature of sin.
“Sayers prompts us to examine the ways in which we might be ignoring or minimizing certain kinds of sin because of the values of our contemporary society,” observes Jan Lermitte.
Professor Lermitte discerns many ways in which Sayers’ essay relates to contemporary society. She will be leading a discussion on Sayers' “The Other Six Deadly Sins” at an upcoming Inklings Institute Conversation Group on November 16.
The Inklings Institute of Canada, led by faculty members in the Department of English and Creative Writing, is an interdisciplinary research effort that formalizes, strengthens and advances Trinity Western University’s contribution to international research on the works of the Oxford Inklings group—including C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams, and J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as friends such as Dorothy L. Sayers, and their literary mentors, earlier writers such as George MacDonald and G.K. Chesterton.
Jan Lermitte's chapter, “Dorothy L. Sayers: War, Women, and Work,” is part of the collection, The Inklings and Culture: A Harvest of Scholarship from the Inklings Institute of Canada, a volume coedited by TWU professors Dr. Monika Hilder, Dr. Sara Pearson, and Dr. Laura Van Dyke and newly published in 2021.
Professor Lermitte provides greater insight into the ways in which Sayers’ works speak to us today:
1. Professor Lermitte, what inspired you to choose Sayers’ essay “The Other Six Deadly Sins” as a topic of discussion for this Inklings conversation?
Originally, Dr. Monika Hilder mentioned that she thought the essay was worthy of discussion, and she encouraged me to read it. It was new to me, and I was intrigued by the number of ways that Sayers’ discussion could be related to contemporary society. For example, Sayers’ describes her “progressive” society in which people are “intent on raising their standard of living” and encouraged to purchase more and more luxuries. This discussion, and others on related topics, seemed to mirror situations and experiences that we encounter in North America. However, the theological concept of the seven deadly sins is not one I hear about often, so I was wondered how that might relate to our society and the views of contemporary Christians.
2. How does Sayers’ context differ from or compare with our contemporary context, and how might that affect the way modern readers receive her views on sin?
Sayers’ essay was written in 1941, when WWII was a daily reality for the British people. Food rationing was widespread; industrialization was in full swing (and was being used widely for manufacture of munitions as well as consumer goods); Britain’s identity as an Empire and world power was declining; and women’s roles in society were undergoing rapid change. Values such as duty, service, thrift, sacrifice, and industry were highly praised. Religion, or Christian duty, was more likely to be assumed as a normal aspect of being a good citizen. We might say that Sayers’ context was quite different than our own.
However, as we continue in 2021 to deal with the realities of a global pandemic, political polarization, and the troubling effects of climate change, battle and war metaphors abound! In this way, we may feel that we are also in a state of urgency. In addition, a decline in religious attendance and belief, and a fixation with celebrity, consumerism, and self-sufficiency, results in a society that is not much interested in the notion of sin.
"...The idea of sin as a multi-faceted, hierarchical concept, is not widely discussed. As a result, some might see Sayers’ views as antiquated or irrelevant, but her core views are actually very relevant to contemporary Christians."
I wonder if Sayers’ audience would have been any more likely to agree with her views on sin than our own. In 1940, Sayers wrote in Begin Here: A War-Time Essay, that “The whole set of ideas connected with the word ‘sin’ is nowadays considered very old -fashioned.” Thus, Sayers was aware that her discussion of sin may not reflect the broader views of her society. In spite of that, Sayers argues in “The Other Six Deadly Sins” that the Church ignores most sin and puts most of its energy into demonizing sexual immorality. The point of her address is to underscore that the “other six deadly sins” need to be acknowledged and revealed, so that Christians can move toward repentance and positive, godly change. Her essay targets a Christian audience, rather than secular society. Modern Christian readers (especially those of the Evangelical tradition) may speak openly about sin, but the idea of sin as a multi-faceted, hierarchical concept, is not widely discussed. As a result, some might see Sayers’ views as antiquated or irrelevant, but her core views are actually very relevant to contemporary Christians.
"What Sayers does well in this essay is raise important questions about the nature of sin. ...I believe that contemporary readers will be challenged to consider Sayers’ arguments in relationship to the values of our society, and to recognize that our understanding of sin may need adjustment."
3. How might reading Sayers provoke us to think differently about sin, or about life as a Christian in contemporary society?
What Sayers does well in this essay is raise important questions about the nature of sin. She challenges both the institutional Church and Christian individuals to consider their sinfulness. Through her discussion of the concept of the seven deadly sins, an old idea that was first suggested by The Desert Fathers, Sayers prompts us to examine the ways in which we might be ignoring or minimizing certain kinds of sin because of the values of our contemporary society. I was surprised that the examples she uses for each of the seven sins continue to be relevant now. Although we may not think about sin in terms of the concept of the seven deadly sins, Sayers’ questions push us to examine ourselves in light of this model. Furthermore, some scholars argue that all of Sayers’ novels and plays explore the impact of sin on human relationships. Thus, I believe that contemporary readers will be challenged to consider Sayers’ arguments in relationship to the values of our society, and to recognize that our understanding of sin may need adjustment.
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